Transcript UNP0010 Part 1

Research Methodology
(UNP0010)
Semester 2 – 2012/2013
Lecturer: Dr. Nor Zairah Ab.Rahim
INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS
• Designed for:
– Master by Course
• Runs like this - all students :
– Attend all 3 meetings; 4 hours in each meeting
1.Meeting 1: Get to know the research topic and interest,
lectures on several key area of research methodology Part
1, Discussion.
2. Meeting 2: Library Search, Quiz about topic in Meeting 1,
continue with lectures on several key area of research
methodology Part 2.
3. Meeting 3: Presentation of Proposal (First 3 Chapters of
Thesis)
• Assessment: i. tasks in the subject outline, ii. quizzes, iii.
Presentation, iv. Written Proposal, v. Overall Participation
END PRODUCT?
• Presentation of Proposal
– PPT Slide
– Hardcopy Proposal
• Corrected Proposal
– 15 Pages
– PPT Slides
For Writing Guidelines, refer to:
1.http://www.ais.utm.my/zuraini/catego
ry/documents-sharing/
2.
http://sps.utm.my/sps/images/academi
cresources/UTM%20Thesis%20Manu
al%202007.pdf
Submit Online to me.
Dateline: 15th March
2013 by 4 PM
Research
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Research
We do research in our every day life!
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What to wear to office
Punctured tyre
Broken washing machine
Cooking for lunch
Finding new home
Family problems
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Research
Research Task
Everyday thinking
Identify a problem
What to cook for lunch?
Gather data
Look what is in the fridge
Analyse the data
Is it enough for everybody in the house?
Everybody’s favourite food?
Interpret the data
Need more ingredient
Gather more data
Where can I get the ingredient?
Simple to cook? Enough time?
Analyse the data
The cheapest shop? Fresh ingredients? Buy readymade
meals?
Interpret the data
Pak Ali’s shop sell fresh chicken. Everyone in the house
loves chicken rendang. But preparing rendang will take a
lot of time, tiring, too many ingredients
Draw conclusion
Go to the stall & buy readymade rendang 
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Research
• Creation of new knowledge, using an appropriate process
to the satisfaction of the users of the research
– learn how to cook rendang, learn the best stall that sell cheap &
tasty rendang
Everyday thinking
Good academic research
• Poor data
• Incomplete data
• Hasty thinking
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Sufficient data sources
Appropriate data sources
Accurately recorded
Properly analysed
No hidden assumption
Conclusion well-founded
Properly presented
As judged by the users of the research
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What is Research?
Research is a human activity based on
intellectual investigation and aimed at
discovering, interpreting, and revising human
knowledge on different aspects of the world.
Research is the method used to accumulate
scientific knowledge.
Roscoe, J.T. (1975)
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INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS
What is Research?
Research is any conscious premeditated
(planned/ intended/ studied) inquiry –
any investigation which seeks to
increase one’s knowledge of a given
situation.
Goldhor, H. (1972)
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INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS
Research Definitions
Research is an organized, systematic, data-based, critical, scientific inquiry of investigation into a
specific problem, undertaken with the objective of finding solutions to it.
Its function is to understand the study & to communicate it with others
A research project has a well-known structure a beginning, middle and end.
Researchers know the aims of research and exactly what is to happen
Rarely produce surprise
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Differences between undergraduate project/research
vs Masters and Ph.D thesis (research)
1) Undergraduate level –direct usage of
models, principles
2) Masters – deeper understanding of the
model, assumptions, theoretical
underpinnings, historical development etc
3) Ph.D – the development of the chain of
inquiry, the theoretical background, the
literature review etc
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Activities in a Research
Research Problem
Research Design
Observation
Data Collection
Literature
Existing
Problems
Data Analysis
Findings & Future works
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INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS
Research Process
Strategies
Survey
Research
Problem/
Research
question(s)
Data
generation
methods
Data
analysis
Interviews
Design &
creation
Experiment
Observation
Quantitative
Outcome
• Framework
• Model
• Algorithm
• System
• Application
Literature
Review
Case Study
Conceptual
Framework
Action
Research
Questionnaires
Qualitative
Ethnography
Grounded
Theory
Documents
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Types of Research
In social science
 Basic research – aimed at
generating fundamental knowledge
and theoretical
understanding
about basic human and other
natural processes
 Applied research – focuses on
answering practical questions to
provide
relatively
immediate
solutions
 Action research – on solving
practitioners’ local problems
More
Specific
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INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS
Computing Discipline
The Computing Discipline
 Hardware – Electrical Engineering, Computer
Engineering.
 Software – Computer Science, Software
engineering.
 Organizational
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Information
Systems
Information Technology
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INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS
Categories of Research in CS
 Application-Based Research
 How knowledge areas of CS can contribute to
other fields eg Bioinformatics, Healthcare, tsunami
detection system, earthquake prediction system
 Theory-Based Research
 How knowledge of Cs can be enhanced,
improved, formulated eg Fuzzy Set Theory,
Pattern recognition.
 Industry-based Research
 Practical usage eg CAD, QC Dept, Human
resource dept.
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INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS
Reasons for doing research
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To add to the body of knowledge
To solve a problem
To find out what happen
To find evidence to inform practice
To develop a greater understanding of people or their world
To predict, plan and control
To contribute to other people’s well-being
To contribute to personal needs
To test or disprove a theory
To come out with a better way
To understand another person’s point of view
To create more interest in the researcher
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The outcome of the research
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A new or improved product
A new theory
A re-interpretation of an existing theory
New or improved research tool or technique
A new or improved model or perspective
An in-depth study of a particular situation
An exploration of a topic, area or field
A critical analysis
Unanticipated outcomes
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Sources of research ideas
• Suggestions from people
• Past research students’ work
• Recent conference & journal paper
(www.scholar.google.com)
• Call for papers
• Current issues
• Clients needs
• To support or refute certain statements
e.g: - Green computing is the future
- Social networking is the future communication
- Baby dumping is the result of new year events
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Never stop writing…
• Keep notes of:
– Possible research questions
– Anything that came across your mind in relation to
the research; thoughts problems, insights, plans,
emerging analysis, interpretation
• Helps to clarify your ideas – esp when you
meet your SV
• Exercise for your proposal/thesis writing
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What Research is NOT?
• Research is not information gathering
– Gathering information from resources such as
books or magazines.
– No contribution to new knowledge
• Research is not the transformation of facts
– No contribution to new knowledge although this
might make knowledge more accessible.
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INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS
Who is a Researcher?
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Matured
Ability to focus and concentrate
Disciplined
Independent
Hardworking
Innovative & Creative
Critical Thinking
Available (time)
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INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS
Research Skills
• To prepare effective proposal
• To generate results
• To communicate results : presentation
& publication
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INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS
Think Like A Researcher
• An investigation
(an inquiry) to find
something out.
• Controlled inquiry concerning certain events.
• Problem solving.
• Application of the scientific approach to study
a problem
• Systematic , controlled, empirical and critical
investigation
guided
by
theory
and
hypothesis.
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INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS
Think Like A Researcher
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Encounter problems
State problems
Propose hypotheses
Deduce outcomes
Formulate rival hypotheses
Devise and conduct empirical tests
Draw conclusions
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Think Like A Researcher
• Concepts: Accepted collection of meanings or characteristics
associated with certain events, objects, conditions, situations
and behaviors. An Idea expressed as symbol or in words (e.g:
s=d/t; s=speed, d=distance, t=time)
• Constructs: A definition specially invented to represent an
abstract phenomenon for a given research project.
• Operational Definitions: Stated in terms of specific criteria for
testing or measurement. E.g: if the concept is "weight", an
operational definition could be "the weight of an object as
measured on a scale".
• Theory: A set of systematically interrelated concepts, definitions
and propositions that are advanced to explain and predict
phenomenon.
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INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS
Examples of constructs
Ideas
Ageism, sexism, racism, self-esteem, poverty, social
capital, trust, philanthropy, affluence, morality,
tolerance, air pollution, genetic engineering,
euthanasia, marriage, taboos
People
Age, gender, ethnicity, height, obesity, morbidity,
energy, muscle soreness, fatigue
Organisations Financial performance, corporate social
responsibility, firm survival, organisational culture,
service quality, corporate governance, outsourcing,
alliances
Events
Armageddon, famine, urban regeneration, Jihad,
secularism
Objects/Things Sun, hurricanes, tsunamis, trees, flowers, amino
acids, stem cells
ULP0010: Research Methodology
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Research is NOT a SIMPLE Linear
Activity
• Never more in a straight line.
• Always loops back & forth.
• Manage the parts in order to manage the
whole.
• Searching for something you won’t know until
you find it.
• Nobody can solve the world’s great problems
in a tiny project.
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INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS
Research Paradigm
• Positivist Paradigm
– Attempts to test hypothesis, precise quantitative
data by using experiments, surveys and statistical
analysis. Independent variables & dependent
variables, cause & effect.
• Interpretive Paradigm
– To understand phenomenon
• Critical Paradigm
– To help subjects to change & improve current
conditions eg creating strategies, empowering &
initiating actions.
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Researchers’ Language
Concepts
Models/
Framework
Constructs
Terms used
in research
Theory
Conceptual
schemes
Operational
definitions
Variables
Propositions/
Hypotheses
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Theoretical Framework
• Is a conceptual model of how one theorizes or makes
logical sense of the relationships among the several
factors that have been identified as important to the
problem.
• LR identifies the variables that might be important as
determined by previous research findings.
• From TF then testable hypothesis can be developed
to examine whether the theory formulated valid or
not.
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INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS
Variables
• A variable is an entity that can take
on different values. Anything that
can vary can be considered a
variable.
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INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS
References
• Oates, B.J (2006) Researching Information Systems and
Computing. Sage Publication. London
• "Academy of Management Review"; What Constitutes a
Theoretical Contribution?; David A. Whetton; 1989
• "Human Resource Management"; HRM: A Map, Model or
Theory?; Mike Noon; 1999
• SPS Research Methodology Slides (Prof Dr. Muhd Rashid
Rajuddin, Prof Dr. Noor Azlan Ahmad Zanzali, etc.)
• Slides from previous semester (Prof. Dr. Bob Colomb, Dr.
Noorminshah I.Ahad, PM Dr. Zuraini Ismail)
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